Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa put forward two pre-conditions for
the forthcoming discussion with President Maithripala Sirisena, UPFA MP
Gamini Lokuge told local media.
Lokuge stated that the two conditions were not forming a national
government and to form a government with SLFP and other parties of the
UPFA.
If Sirisena does not agree to these conditions, the Rajapaksa faction
will contest the election as a separate group, Lokuge also said.
However, if Sirisena agrees to the conditions, Rajapaksa will fully
support the SLFP election campaign in the forthcoming general election.
Meanwhile, if Sirisena accepts the conditions, it will scuttle the
proposal for a national government put forward by Prime Minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe. The Prime Minister has repeatedly said that he wants the
whole parliament to become one government after the election.